IWhat I do like is top cricketers being well paid for their abilities. With the proliferation of professional sports around the world I think it's important that cricket offers talented youngsters that financial opportunity. We don't want them being lured away from cricket to other sports for financial reasons.

On the flip side, we don't want young cricketers prioritising the development of their T20 skills for financial gain either. Glenn Maxwell earning so much more than Alastair Cook can't really be great for the game.

Rejecting 'analysis by checklist' and 'skill absolutism' since Dec '09

The only issue I have with it is the fact that there now seems to be an unofficial window for it. It's no coincidence that there's very little international cricket during the tournament and it really hurts West Indian cricket especially. For that reason it has a far greater impact than just being a domestic T20 competition.

I have no issue with it other than that.

True, but there was quite a bit of international cricket during the IPL last year. England in Sri Lanka, Australia in West Indies and West Indies in England. This year a lot of the international cricket was played just before the tournament, which, coincidence or not, didn't really harm anyone. In a way, I actually think the tournament is in a good slot. It's in between the Southern and Northern hemisphere summers, so it only ever clashes with the West Indies and Sri Lankan playing seasons. Admittedly, it isn't great for both those countries because of that, but there's plenty of time for international cricket either side. Perhaps the tournament could do with being a couple of weeks shorter for that reason though.

On the flip side, we don't want young cricketers prioritising the development of their T20 skills for financial gain either. Glenn Maxwell earning so much more than Alastair Cook can't really be great for the game.

I actually think that's the good thing about it. Now you can get into cricket, especially in the poorer nations, and have at least some reassurance that if you don't end up becoming a really good cricketer, you can still make money by shifting your priorities slightly. It is the equivalent of the TV soaps. The fact that they exist do not lower the emergence rate of good theater actors. In fact, since cricket actually becomes more lucrative, more kids might be allowed to join in by their parents, and when you have a bigger pool of emerging players, the probability of finding good test players should increase. Whatsay?

~ Do you think I care for you so little that betraying me would make a difference ~

On the flip side, we don't want young cricketers prioritising the development of their T20 skills for financial gain either. Glenn Maxwell earning so much more than Alastair Cook can't really be great for the game.

By "we" I assume you mean FC/Test cricket lovers?

Personally, I agree with you, but what if the future of cricket is T20 and not Test matches?
Over my lifetime I've watched the popularity of Test cricket wane and ODIs and T20 evolve as a result.

At this stage I think the first priority is for cricket to be able to compete well against other sports for young talent.

At the end of the day the sport watching public will decide what they want to watch and therefore what direction the sport develops in.

It's not for me, I will watch it, am now, because I'll watch any cricket on the box. Even Womens FFS.

Yet, I think this is a very poor version of it. I like t20 as well. Yet the Indian bowlers are often what let it down, there's so few I want to watch.

You look at this match being played now, how many of Pune bowlers are remotely interesting to watch.

Dale Steyn the only one on view in this match. Most bowling is just turgid spoiler stuff, IMHO.

Ishant Sharma and Ashok Dinda are not something I want to see in a world-wide Top-Class competition.

And yet unfortunately, not only are they main bowlers for their franchises and domestic sides, they are in the Indian Test Squad FFS. I mean, you probably have to watch them anyway if say you tuned in for a test match India are playing..

We miss you, Fardin. :(. RIP.

Originally Posted by vic_orthdox

In the end, I think it's so utterly, incomprehensibly boring. There is so much context behind each innings of cricket that dissecting statistics into these small samples is just worthless. No-one has ever been faced with the same situation in which they come out to bat as someone else. Ever.

It's not for me, I will watch it, am now, because I'll watch any cricket on the box. Even Womens FFS.

Yet, I think this is a very poor version of it. I like t20 as well. Yet the Indian bowlers are often what let it down, there's so few I want to watch.

You look at this match being played now, how many of Pune bowlers are remotely interesting to watch.

Dale Steyn the only one on view in this match. Most bowling is just turgid spoiler stuff, IMHO.

Ishant Sharma and Ashok Dinda are not something I want to see in a world-wide Top-Class competition.

But any domestic tournament is going to have average players involved. It's probably more frustrating in the IPL, because they get paid more and the sides are allowed 4 overseas players, so you expect the general standard to be high. But lets face it, some of the bowling you'd get in a Somerset v Leicestershire (or whatever) game at Taunton is hardly incredible.

I think it's important to remember you're watching a domestic tournament, not the World T20 v2.

And yet unfortunately, not only are they main bowlers for their franchises and domestic sides, they are in the Indian Test Squad FFS. I mean, you probably have to watch them anyway if say you tuned in for a test match India are playing..

Indeed, that's why I mentioned those two really, they're the best, but there are plenty below it. It was a general dislike of Indian bowlers ATM.

Originally Posted by Cabinet96

But any domestic tournament is going to have average players involved. It's probably more frustrating in the IPL, because they get paid more and the sides are allowed 4 overseas players, so you expect the general standard to be high. But lets face it, some of the bowling you'd get in a Somerset v Leicestershire (or whatever) game at Taunton is hardly incredible.

I think it's important to remember you're watching a domestic tournament, not the World T20 v2.

Totally agreed, and that's why I'd expect most Indian fans not to want to watch Somerset-Leicester. I only prefer it, because it's my domestic league.

Yet the IPL is not marketed as just another domestic league, is it?

Mind you, I've rather forgotten my main bloody dislike of the thing, it's too bloody long. Which I don't think helps in the intensity for players and watchers.

I would also like all domestic one-day stuff to be a lot shorter, but that's not going to happen.

Dale was fired up for this match, and that was fun, doubt he will be for that many other matches.

On the flip side, we don't want young cricketers prioritising the development of their T20 skills for financial gain either. Glenn Maxwell earning so much more than Alastair Cook can't really be great for the game.

Willing to bet ECB central contracts are much more handsomely paid than we tend to imagine.

There's been a lot of comment on players like Broad, Anderson, or even Bopara or Patel "prioritising their country over money" or some such by not going to the IPL - but it seems more likely to me that the Test side is where the real money is after all.

You are the word, the word is 'destroy' - I break this bottle and think of you fondly

Willing to bet ECB central contracts are much more handsomely paid than we tend to imagine.

There's been a lot of comment on players like Broad, Anderson, or even Bopara or Patel "prioritising their country over money" or some such by not going to the IPL - but it seems more likely to me that the Test side is where the real money is after all.

Maxwell's on a million dollar contract for this season though. I highly doubt Cook earns that much even if he is earning as much or more than the typical IPL player.

On the flip side, we don't want young cricketers prioritising the development of their T20 skills for financial gain either. Glenn Maxwell earning so much more than Alastair Cook can't really be great for the game.

I'm not holding you to an inconsistency in thought or criticizing you because one can legitimately hold different things to different standards but this is such a non-liberetarian thing to say.

Last edited by Teja.; 05-04-2013 at 02:36 PM.

Isnít it enough to see that a garden is beautiful without having to believe that there are fairies at the bottom of it too? Ė Douglas Adams

Originally Posted by GIMH

The reason people don't cheer for India is nothing to do with them being number one

Willing to bet ECB central contracts are much more handsomely paid than we tend to imagine.

There's been a lot of comment on players like Broad, Anderson, or even Bopara or Patel "prioritising their country over money" or some such by not going to the IPL - but it seems more likely to me that the Test side is where the real money is after all.